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Well, hello there! It's been a while, hasn't it?!?! I'm sorry about that! I have been buuuuuuussssssssyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!! Back in August we decided to start a kitchen reno....which is still happening today (7 months later....). Last June I stepped into the role of Vice President at The Belleville Theatre Guild, and in January I accepted the role as Annie Oakley in The Pinnacle Playhouse's spring production of "Annie Get Your Gun" - I have a lot of lines and songs to learn! Not to mention blocking and some dancing! Oh boy!

​ Anywho, I didn't take the time to log on today to whine, I came to talk about something important! Skin! :)

We all know that diet and exercise is an important part of keeping your body healthy, but did you know it can keep your skin healthy too? True story.

I've personally always had pretty clear skin. I actually had a friend in high school that used to chant "Amy-Lyn and her clear skin"....I always thought it was endearing...but, looking back, I wonder if she was actually being caddy? Oh man, I don't miss high school! Hahaha, anyway, moving on!

Caleb, who is now 13 (what the heck? When did that happen!), has had trouble with acne for about a year now. I've taught him proper face washing techniques, and tried to explain why it's important, but his skin was still very blemished, and it bothered him. He was always scratching and picking at his face. Poor guy.

​ So, striving to help him further, I started to investigate the power of diet and exercise on skin health.

​ What I found was interesting and insightful, and it turns out a balance of diet and exercise may be the missing link in your struggles with acne! If you’re endeavouring to clear up acne and unwanted blemishes, these helpful hints may be the key to your success! They really helped Caleb out!

Diet

A poor diet can often contribute to acne flair ups and blemishes. We all know the importance of a healthy diet when it comes to looking and feeling our best, but did you know that certain foods have been known to cause and prevent breakouts? That’s right, those midnight ice cream splurges may be the reason you’re experiencing blemishes! Whomp whomp.

If clear skin is a priority, it might be time to swap out those potato chips for kale chips. Not only will eating right keep your body looking fit and feeling healthy, but your skin as well. Here are some the foods that you should introduce to your diet for clear and glowing skin:​

Almonds: This nut is loaded with antioxidants that will help your body filter out the toxins in your skin.

Oranges and strawberries: Fruits that have a high citrus content are packed with vitamin C, which will help give your body the tools it needs to stave off bacteria that may get clogged in your pores.

Red and orange vegetables: Beta-carotene is a type of carotenoid that gives certain vegetables their orange and red hue. It is also chalked full of antioxidants which can fight off free radicals harmful to your skin. Foods with carotenoids include carrots, sweet red peppers, & sweet potato.

Simply eating better foods won’t be enough to keep your skin clear and blemish free though — there are some important foods you need to avoid as well:

Milk: Does dairy cause acne? There no conclusive evidence; however, the additives in dairy products certainly do. Dairy products are often loaded with hormones that can cause your body’s endocrine system to become off balance and trigger a hormonal breakout (this is not the case in Canada and a lot of Europe though, fyi).

Sugar: We all know too much sugar is bad for us, especially the unnatural, overly processed kind. Insulin spikes in your bloodstream can lead to blemishes as the body attempt to rid excess levels. Reducing your sugar intake will help your body stay healthy and fight acne.

Fried foods: Your arteries and your complexion will certainly thank you when you cut these foods out of your diet. Greasy foods have been known to not only clog your arteries, but your pores too.

Exercise

When considering the benefits of exercise, we tend to think about cardiovascular health, weight management, and muscle endurance. However, the improved circulation that comes from regularly working out also helps keep your skin looking healthy and vibrant!

I think sometimes, those with skin conditions like acne, rosacea, and psoriasis avoid athletic activities and exercise because they fear it will further irritate their skin. Although clothing can potentially irritate your skin when working out, the benefits of exercise far outweigh the risk. If you suffer from sensitive skin, try finding a detergent that won’t irritate your skin or workout clothes made from better materials. And be sure to choose clothes that are super comfy! ​ Why does working out help with skim problems though? The reason is due to oxygenated blood flow. By increasing the flow of blood and oxygen, exercise helps skin cells stay vital and nourished. Not only will this increased flow help replenish your complexion, but it will help revitalize it as well! Woot woot! I love the word "revitalize"! :) I'm a weirdo.

The circulatory system is responsible for carrying away waste and detoxifying your body—including the toxins in your skin. The stronger the system, the better it can function and serve its purpose.

The popular belief is that you sweat toxins out when you work out, but in reality, it’s your liver that filters our toxins. Increased blood flow to the liver allows for the body to expel harmful toxins; cleansing your skin from the inside.

​ A few other things to consider - reducing stress is another lifestyle pillar for maintaining clear, healthy, and vibrant skin; exercise has been proven to reduce stress and it also helps you get a great sleep, and more sleep means you're more capable of handling stress, and on it on it goes!

Lastly, post workout hygiene is something that shouldn’t be overlooked–washing or showering immediately afterwards and using skin care products are a must. Pores can easily become clogged with sweat and dirt if left unkempt after a workout.

For Caleb, a "workout" is often turning on some of his favourite music, and letting him dance like only he can (the whole house feels like it's shaking when he dances!). We'd also go for long walks on Saturdays, and race to the barn and back home to see who was the fastest. Caleb isn't inclined to "do a workout", but he loves dancing, running, and going for walks, so that's what we did to increase his exercise levels and blood flow!

In conclusion (it's been a while since I ended a post like that, and I felt it needed it!), I don't want to minimize the fact that there are a lot of people out there with serious skin issues. I want to acknowledge that there is a difference between having acne, and having an acne problem.

For me, this was about Caleb, and wanting him to look and feel his best. Being 13 is hard. And I suspect being 13 with autism is even harder! So, I wanted to try to eliminate something that may make him feel less confident in himself.

So, don’t let blemishes and skin imperfections get you down! Beauty starts from the inside, so be nice! :) Then, with a few simple lifestyle changes, the beautiful glowing clear skin you always wanted will be here before you know it!

I saw something a while back that I thought was so clever - it was a list of the alphabet, and next to each letter was a specific exercise you did.

Well, I tried it...and I hated it! I didn't read through each exercise before I started, and I realized while doing it that it was the same 5 exercises over and over. So, it worked out that name workout was maybe 3 exercises over and over! Blah! Boring!!! Seriously, I can't handle that. I crave variety! I loved the idea still though, I just knew I'd need to create my own version of this workout!

I picked some awesome and difficult moves, some of which require free weights, but can easily be done without weights, or subbed for something else - when in doubt, just do jumping jacks or burpees! And if you're not sure what something is, just wing it!

Because I do get bored and need variety, sometimes I workout to a name that isn't mine at all! Hahaha, yes, I know that maybe sounds semi-psychotic! Seriously though, I'll pick a character I played in a show, a friend or family member, or a favourite character from a t.v. show or movie!

Working out should be fun, so have fun! Pick a name (maybe start with your own!), and go for it! I only do my first and last name because that's 19 exercises! If I added my middle name I'd be up to 27 moves! And because I am generally doing this "spell your name" workout name when I'm a little strapped for time, I just do my first and last name, and push as hard as I can. I've also done the whole alphabet, just for "fun"! : )

Our weekend was good, and really busy, and very tiring, but also wonderful!!! I hope your weekend was lovely!

I was contacted by an amazing gym called My Fitness Boutique in London, England about sharing a HIIT infographic that they've created.

If you know me at all, you know I fully believe in and stand by the idea and principals of HIIT training. HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training, and basically it means instead of hours of cardio, you cram intense "bursts" of work into a smaller workout time. This method of working out has been around for quite a few years. I first started doing it about 7 years ago after my mother in law mentioned these "burst" workouts to me. The idea of a quick (but difficult) workout really appealed to me, as I was home with 3 young children, and hadn't the time, or space, to money, or equipment to do hours of cardio!

So, I'll pass this post onto the folks at My Fitness Boutique, and I hope you enjoy the awesome infographic they've created to help you understand HIIT, and why it's so amazing!!!

HIIT For Beginners

​ We now live in a world where people like things to be done fast.

We might order an occasional takeaway if we don’t have time to cook and we fully expect it to arrive at our door within 30 minutes. We expect a smartphone to be able to load a webpage within a few seconds. We expect to obtain score updates from a big game almost immediately through Twitter or a series of live scores apps.

When it comes to exercise, we all want it to be effective and to visibly lose fat and/or gain muscle as a result, but some of us aren’t prepared to hang around for those results to take hold. If you want a fast track to a better body without taking the type of shortcut that will ultimately do more harm than good, then High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is perfect for you!

Indeed, as this infographic we've create at My Fitness Boutique shows, an increasing number of people are embracing the efficient and effective practice of HIIT workouts. There are numerous studies to show that high intensity workouts can often be much more effective than steady state cardio, so not only are you achieving quicker fitness results, but you’re also getting better fitness results.

In that case, HIIT seems to be all sweetness and light, but the process tends to be gruelling. Keep in mind the words ‘high intensity’! HIIT works faster, but it also requires you to work out faster and harder than ever before.

You may find that you don’t have the stamina for high intensity exercises, but the mistake many people make is to try and achieve too much too soon. Instead of drastically altering your fitness routine, impose changes and targets gradually so that the goals are realistic and you’re still succeeding in adding intensity to your workouts.

If you’re prepared to endure the severity of HIIT workouts for a quicker, more effective route to your fitness goals, then take a look at the infographic below for some high intensity exercise ideas!

Thanks My Fitness Boutique for wanting to educate and encourage people on their journey to being healthy & fit!

Being a better, healthier version of yourself doesn't have to take hours from your day. Honestly, taking 10 minutes a day to workout can have tremendous benefits to your body and mind! Even if your goal isn't to become muscular, or even to loose any fat, just working out or getting some form of exercise is making you better! It shows some discipline, motivation, and that you are willing to take some time for yourself!

I hope you give HIIT a try if you've never tried it before, and share the message with your friends and family! Because sharing a simple, life-giving tip to others is a wonderful thing you can do!

I want to share with you today someone I've recently subscribed to on YouTube. I'd actually done one of his videos a long time ago, but wasn't hooked. It was a 20 minute jump rope video and it just wasn't my fav. I realize it's confusing to start a post about something I love by saying I didn't like it! But seriously, doesn't that happen?! You really are unsure (or strait up hate/dislike) something, and then you just give it a solid effort and then you realize how much you enjoy it!? Maybe it's just me, but it happens all the time!

Anyway, while looking on YouTube for a workout video, one of the other channels I subscribe to, BeFit, had a bunch of videos featuring this guy from the jump rope video. I was looking for a quick and hard workout, so I thought I'd give him a try again.

Well, turns out he's the freakin' best. Ok, I'll admit calling someone "the best" is pretty relative, but take my word for it - if you're looking for a workout to seriously kick your butt, and have a laugh, and feel like you're working out with your friend who happens to swear like a sailor, you will LOVE Mike!

Mike Donavanik is his name, and his shirt status in the intros to a lot of his workous? Non-exsistent. Why does this matter? It doesn't.

Except when your 8 year old daughter asks if he's wearing clothes at all and you need to explain he is....or you hope he is....but you can definitely reassure her that he wears clothes during the workout.

I wanetd to narrow down the videos and show you my favourite today, but basically ALL of his videos are my favourite!

He works you hard (especially if you try to keep pace with him!), and if you're slightly ADD when it comes to working out (like I am), you'll appreciate that he rarely repeats moves. I mean, yes, he does some times, but it's not the kind of workout where you do 4 moves, and then repeat that circuit of 4 moves 5 times! That makes my brain so upset! I like to kick-ass in a move and know that I won't have to do it again!

​ Anyway, here's one of my favourites! He even has his shirt on in the intro! : )

One of my favourite things about Mike's videos is seeing how hard he's working, and how difficult it is for him (even though he's super fit) and feeling like you're not alone in your torrent of sweat dripping down your face!

I hate feeling like I'm working SO HARD at a workout, and the pretty person leading the workout is still fresh and happy looking! I'm freakin' dying and they're just have beautiful rosy cheeks and are still smiling!

With Mike you'll get someone leading you through a workout who is super sweaty, swears, and make crazy faces.

I can relate to that!!!

Since the spring I've been struggling with getting back into better shape. The spring was very stressful for me, and I didn't workout as often or as hard as I wanted to, and my eating habits were getting pretty derailed.

So, the end of the summer and early fall I really buckled down and started eating better and trying to workout harder and smarter....but it seemed like nothing was changing.

I realized that my workouts, although they were tough, were not kicking me into gear like I needed them to. They were difficult, but not the leave me with a purple face, sweat everywhere, and a serious jello legs kind of difficult. I think when working out we know if we're giving our all, or just trying to do it so we can say we did. And that's what I was doing. I was doing good workouts, but not really pushing myself hard enough.

Then I started these workouts with Mike at the end of October, and I'm down 2 inches on my wasit, an inch on each leg, down 5lbs in total weight, my arms are getting definition again, and my stomach is getting flatter again. And I wore a pair of jeans. On purpose. : )

If you know me you know that I basically only ever wear leggings. I wear them because they're cozy, they go well with all my whacko sweaters I own, and they are forgiving for when the waist is growing or shrinking!

But, I wore jeans. And they fit great! They'd been hiding in my pant drawer since last winter, and I had tried to wear them once just before summer...and it was a little upsetting how they didn't fit well at all! So, to wear my fav jeans again, and feel comfortable in them was amazing! I literally put them on, and proclaimed, "I LOVE Mike!". My adoring husband just rolled his eyes at me. : )

​This past weekend was my husbands work Christmas party. I had kinda sorta wanted to get a new dress for it, but I hate shopping. Seriously hate it. Anyway, after we spent many hours at the mall with me going "bleh", "meh", and "yuk!" to many dresses I finally found one I liked. I grabbed the size I thought I needed and headed to the changeroom to try it on, but ended up needing a store employee to bring me one 2 sizes smaller to try on instead! That's me wearing the dress in the photos above!

So, Mike, thanks for the new motivation, the new found love of working out, and for the new dress, 2 sizes smaller than I thought I would have been wearing!

If you want to try some new workouts, head over to Mike's YouTube channel (MikeDFitness), and give them a whirl. Seriously, just doing one of his 10 minute workouts will leave you feeling whipped!

Can I also say though that my version of being fit doesn't have to be (and shouldn't be) your version. In October, while a friend was visiting, I told her I'd put on 15-lbs and had lost a lot of muscle and muscle definition during the spring and summer, and she was like, "what? For real? You weigh 15-lbs more than before?". She's not the kind of person to be nice just for the sake of it, and it reminded me that I am my biggest critic, and I need to be kinder to myself. For me though, I only care moderately what other people think of me and how I look. What I care about more is how I feel in my body, my clothes and how healthy I feel (getting good sleep, having lots of energy, stable moods, etc.).

So, that's it! I hope you check out Mike's videos, and I hope you had a good weekend and have a great week!

How was the weekend? Ours was fun & busy! After a very exciting soccer game on Friday (in which my dear wee Keziah scored her first goal!), we had some neighbours over for a campfire. Saturday we drove to visit friends in Haliburton. We don't get to see these friends nearly enough, so it was really good to catch up a little. Oh, some of that catching up happened at the hospital though, as the same dear wee Keziah attempted a back flip on a trampoline and may have fractured her elbow....whomp whomp. The results from the x-rays that night weren't conclusive (as can often be the case for kids and fractures), so yesterday we made another trip to a different hospital to see if we could get some answers. Well, we couldn't get any more answers, but the Dr.'s said based on her pain and mobility issues, they'd rather put a cast on it and play it safe. Although this really sucks for Keziah as far as cartwheels, monkey bars and general 6 year old shinanigans are concerned, I feel better knowing the arm is safe and healing, from whatever inconclusive thing happened! And she's a trooper though - she's had some teary moments wondering about whether she could go swimming or not, but other than that, she's admirably optimistic. Last night she went to soccer, and wanted to be in uniform to be supportive of the team, but because there was a storm warning, a lot of the kids on the team didn't show. So, she gladly stepped in (with me hovering like a helicopter parent in case she fell onto her arm!), and got her second ever goal! She was proud of herself! I was proud too - nothing's keeping that girl down!​

Keziah in her new cast, making a whacky face, and enjoying an extremely messy ice cream cone! :)

​ Anywho, back to Sunday - after leaving our friends house bright and early we drove 2 hours to Belleville because my hubby was playing drums for the music team, and I was teaching Sunday School. Then, in the evening we all went to the cast party for The Music Man. The show turned out beautifully, and I am proud (so proud) of that hard working cast of 40 people (and understudies who had to step in with literally 10 minutes notice!!!), and we had a wonderful time eating, drinking, and chatting with the cast and crew.

So, that's it. Re-cap complete!

Today I want to share with you a fun, really different, and ironically hilarious workout I've discovered.

Now, I am a dancer, but I would not consider myself to be a good hip-hop dancer. I've taken hip-hop, I've choreographed hip-hop, but my kind of hip-hop is old school. I would describe my hip-hop style as "clean". Hip-hop now is a little sexier than I can manage, but that hasn't stopped me from enjoying the workouts I've found from The Fitness Marshall.

He choreographs simple hip-hop routines to popular songs as workouts.

Remember I said "ironically hilarious"? It's because these routines are the "new" kind of hip-hop (read: sexy), and as already mentioned, I'm not qualified for that kind of dancing! So, when I do these, I sweat, but I also laugh a lot at how bad I am at the dances! : ) Remember though, laughter is great for your health, so I consider it a double-whammy.

On his YouTube channel he even has a "sweat set" that changes every week and consists of (usually) 12 videos equalling 35-40 minutes of dancing.

I was reluctant to try these at first because of my "old school" hip-hop dancing skills, but I find that these workouts get me moving in new ways, I really have to pay attention to the routine (instead of just mindlessly working out, which can happen sometimes), and the time literally flies by! And I honestly, honestly, honest-to-goodness don't know ANY of the songs (I am unapologetically out of touch with the current music scene), but that doesn't matter. I'm sure it helps because you know what's coming next in the music so you can know what's coming next in the choreo, but (let's be real) these songs aren't a freakin' concerto, they are bare bones (....a hem....boring...talentless...?), and are easy topick-up. Seriously though, these workouts/dances are a freakin' hoot.​

​ So, check out his YouTube channel, or his website, and try to "sweat yourself sexy" as the marshall likes to say. : )​

I have been excruciatingly negligent in posting anything, anywhere on this blog!!!

Truth is, life has been stressful lately, and I haven't had the time, or the ambition to write much of anything!

The musical I was working on had it's opening night last week, so that was very exciting...but leading up to it was becoming more and more stressful. I'm used to the "regular" stress of getting close to a show opening, but there was a lot of tension and conflict between members of the crew, and it was starting to wear on me.

I also have a good friend who has been really struggling with a lot, and, after many scary episodes, she has checked into rehab in Toronto for 6 weeks, leaving behind her husband and kids.

My life has also been interrupted by a new person who has boundary issues, and who doesn't understand that I prefer solitude and order in my day. I can (and do, a lot!) have my days interrupted, I can adjust to changes, I can adapt when I need to - but when the intrusions are everyday - I am just overwhelmed and exhausted.

And early in the new year we (my husband and I) were asked if we would want to cook at a summer camp. The decision was not a simple one at all, and caused me a lot of stress. There are so many parts of our lives that do not lend themselves to just picking up and being gone for a whole summer. Things like our gardens, large yard that needs mowing, horses, cat, dog, son with autism - and my aforementioned need for sameness and solitude!! We kept going back and forth about this decision, but finally (after sorting out some of the obstacles in the way), we said that we would be available to cook for camp. And by "we", I mean "me" because my husband still has a job he has to go to!

Speaking of jobs, money has been stressing us out lately as the money we have seems to be getting dumped into a sieve and pouring out and down the drain! For years we've been pretty good with money, but a few years ago (when we bought our house, really) we suddenly had a lot of things that needed being paid! I feel more stressed and pressured now about money than I did our first year of marriage when our gross income was around $13,000! Yes, I said gross income! And our rent then cost us $750, so didn't leave too much for anything else, but we figured it out, and I don't remember thinking "oh crap...how are we going to buy groceries?".

And in the last few months we have gone to a lot of funerals. And that just wears you down......

Anyway........I'm ranting and venting......and getting to the point......about stress!

I felt like I was getting sucked into the undercurrent of all the things life was hurling at us. Generally I can deal with stress because there will only be one or two things at once, and I can still find a way to cope. But this time? I was drowning.

So, I needed to really dig deep and figure out how I could let off some steam before I blew a gasket (or, blew more gaskets....I had already blown a few)! Here are some things I started doing to keep me going. ​

Tips for Dealing With Stress

Exercise!

It'll come as no surprise that this is my first tip.

If all you do is get out for a 10 minute walk, that will help! When you're stressed out, your body is reacting with chemicals that signal "fight or flight"! So, using up these hormones by way of physical activity can do a world of good for your stressed out mind and body!

And basically, when your stressed, there isn't (really) such a thing as "too much exercise". Just get moving, and get feeling better!

For me, I exercise everyday, but I tried adding more yoga, and when the weather was nice, taking a walk., and both helped. I also moved my workouts outside. Normally I would wait to start working out outside until it's really sunny and warm, but I decided that getting outside for the extra fresh air (even if it meant working out with a sweatshirt on) would be great. And it was.

​Cut back

This one was a zinger....but I realized the more stressed I felt, the more coffee I was downing in the morning, and the wine I was drinking in the evening. Whomp whomp.

Caffeine is stimulant, which when taken in excess causes a heightened level of stress. And alcohol, when consumed in larger quantities, is a depressant, which is obviously not helpful. Extra stressed all day, super depressed all night. That's a loose/loose!

So, for me, I cut out wine and tried drinking teas at night. It sounds like such a "bleh" switch, but there really are some great teas out there, and they can be delicious and soothing. I also cut my 3-4 cups of coffee (and the cup I use is really about 1 1/2 "normal" cups of coffee) to 1, and sometimes 2 cups. Once I cut back, I actually found that I often didn't even want more than the 1 cup.

Zzzzzzzzz

Stress causes sleep to be interrupted, and lack of sleep causes stress....so you can see that this is a vicious cycle!

If you aren't getting sufficient sleep, your stress will persist. So, find a method to help you get the sleep you need. For me, it was melatonin.

Melatonin is "a hormone secreted by the pineal gland in the brain. It helps regulate other hormones and maintains the body's circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is an internal 24-hour "clock" that plays a critical role in when we fall asleep and when we wake up. When it is dark, your body produces more melatonin. When it is light, the production of melatonin drops. Being exposed to bright lights in the evening, or too little light during the day, can disrupt the body's normal melatonin cycles. For example, jet lag, shift work, and poor vision can disrupt melatonin cycles" (Source).

I find melatonin fascinating, and first started using it for my kids when I needed them to get to sleep, and have a good solid sleep. Then I recently asked myself, "why the heck aren't I taking it too?!?!"

So, when I realized that my stress was becoming worse because of my severely interrupted sleep, I decided to take some melatonin (I buy mine from Vitacost - see the link in the side bar!). Man, waking up after having a good nights sleep made me feel like a million bucks! All my stressful situations were still present, but I didn't wake up exhausted and dreading the day!

If you're not into melatonin, try drinking a "sleepy time" tea. Chamomile tea works wonderfully for sleeplessness. As does giving yourself some time before bed without any very bright lights on (remember your natural melatonin increases when it gets darker). Whether this means just turning off the computer, t.v. or cell phone half an hour before you plan to go to bed, or try taking a warm bath or reading a (non exciting!) book for a few minutes to relax your body, tire your eyes and help you forget about the things that worry you. Something else I found helpful was trying to aim to go to bed at roughly the same time each day. This helped my mind and body get used to a predictable bedtime routine, and made me feel like I had some control over something (which can feel empowering when life seems out of control!)

Get It Out

Whether by talking to someone, or writing it down in a journal, a great way to help beat some stress is to share it.

If you talk to someone about it, be sure it's someone who you can trust to not devalue what you're going through, Most times when we're stressed we just need someone to say, "that sucks! not, "Well, that's not so bad!". Am I right?

You also want to know that if you're stressed about someone, that the person you're talking to can be trusted to not gossip about it because that can make the stress even worse!

If you'd rather write it all down in a journal this can be therapeutic too. Writing it down can also help you pin-point some of the stressors (if they aren't obvious). Maybe write down the date, time and place of each stressful episode, and note what you were doing, who you were with, and how you felt both physically and emotionally. Give each stressful episode a stress rating (on, say, a 1-10 scale) and use the diary to understand what triggers your stress and how effective you are in stressful situations. This will enable you to avoid stressful situations and develop better coping mechanism.

Lay Down & Be Quiet

This one can be hard, but try to find a few minutes a day to just be quiet. I honestly really enjoy the hill right outside of our barn. I walk there, and lay down and look up into the sky. It makes my worries feel small when I can be quiet.

Laying down really seems to make the quiet even better, so try to find a spot you can do that. Maybe you can go into a room and turn off all the lights and lay down. Or sit in your car and put the seat back and close your eyes. Don't let going to bed be the only time you've let your body lay down and be quiet. It feels really (surprisingly) calming to lay down for a few minutes when it's NOT bed time. Try it sometime!

Smile!

Well, this last one is a little whacky, but just smile! I'm not even talking about when you're thinking of something pleasant, or when reading or watching someone wonderful - I'm talking about smiling RIGHT NOW! Seriously, if you're reading these words, just start smiling.

I've known for a long time that smiling can actually change the way we perceive a situation, and honestly never cared whether it was scientifically true or not because I knew that smiling helped me feel better! This article goes into detail and talks about how there is actual scientific proof that smiling can help us feel better!!!

I mean, it's free, you can do it anywhere, anytime, and it helps! Hello?!? This is a winner!

Truthfully, sometimes I'm grumpy or stressed, so I'll fake smile, and then I'll suddenly start laughing because I realize how crazy I must look! Hahaha, so, in those cases I'm clearly feeling better because now I'm laughing (at myself, but still, it's laughter!) : )

So, these are the methods I use to help me not feel like I'm all tangled up in mangled up knots (The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, anyone???)

I hope that, if you're feeling stressed today, these tips I've shared helped you feel even a little bit better. Pick one or two you can do and see how you feel!

I thought I'd talk today about kids fitness! As a Mom, I want to make sure my kids are growing up strong, confident and in good health. Let's be honest, little kids (pre-school aged) are always moving, but as kids get into school, they can start to slow down! So, today I'm going to talk about school-aged kids and keeping them active.

I met a little girl recently who is only 6 years old, and is the average height of a 6 year old (about 3 1/2 ft), but weighs at least 25-30lbs more than "the average" 6 year old (I know "the average" weight can vary widely, but this particular child is obese). I honestly don't judge her (she's only 6!!!), or even her parents, but it makes my heart sad to think of the health issues she will likely have as she gets older. I can't say that she'll struggle with confidence or anything else because perhaps her parents are instilling in her a strong sense of self-worth, but in this day and age, where being thin is made out to be the most important thing, I can imagine she will have some mental obstacles to overcome.

Kids need to exercise to help build confidence, strength, and to lay the foundation to a healthy lifestyle. That's why in school, physical education is important in order to help kids not only achieve sharpness of the mind, but also an appropriate level of fitness. But, outside of school, how can we encourage our kids to stay active?

​Tips On Keeping Kids Active

According to kidshealth.org, some helpful guidelines for raising healthy kids are:

- Get at least 1 hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity on most days

- Avoid periods of inactivity of 2 hours or more unless sleeping

I think everyone can agree that those 2 things are really very simple and manageable!

So, let's see what this looks like in a practical way!

Outdoor fun!

​ During weekends (when there isn't a school gym period, recess, or scheduled sports), it's very important for kids to stay active. When they're out of school, here are some things that you can make them do to keep them fit and healthy!​

Get them to help around the house. Even if it's only washing the dishes or cleaning a small area, it will be good exercise for them (and can be helpful for you too!)!

Don't prevent them from playing outside! On weekends, there's no such thing as "playing too much" outside! Let them play in the yard, ride around the neighbourhood on their bike, jump rope, throw a ball, or run around playing tag with friends. Not only will they be happy, but it will help build their immune system, and give them a good night's sleep!

If they need a little bit of encouragement, take them with you and get them active together. Go for a walk, ride a bike, help them learn to jump rope, throw a ball, or build a fort. Some practical ways to get active would be to help with raking leaves, weeding gardens, or shovelling snow. Kids love to play and hang around with their parents! Not to sound like I'm laying a guilt trip, but we are blessed beyond measure in this country to be able to play with our kids! Many countries where democracy is an issue, kids are separated from their families and most of the time they have to rely on charities for care, food, and comfort. So take advantage of the freedom that you have with your child(ren) and play with them! Besides, kids grow up fast and you'll miss playing with them if you don't hang around with them more when they're young! I "get my kids in trouble" for growing up without my permission, and demand they stay small. : )

On rainy days, keep an assortment of things that they can play around with at home. It could be something as simple as a hula-hoop, jump ropes, having a dance party (just turn on some turns and let the kids dance!) or anything else that they can use at home to stay active. Avoid giving them balls to play with inside though - unless you want them to break things!?!?

Outside school and the home, there will always be a place for them to stay active. Go to playgrounds, walking or bike paths, or if your kids love video games you can even check out some arcades since there are games now that demand a lot of movements from players like dance arcade machines or drums simulation games (check out this amazing arcade dancer!)

​

Indoor dance party!

​ Just remember, fitness is important if you want your kids to grow up physically and mentally fit! Don't make it complicated, but make sure it's happening!

In 1972 Dr. Robert Atkins wrote a book about an amazing new way to loose weight. It went against all the conventional thinking and proposed that one could eat as much protein and fat as they wanted--without counting any calories--and you could loose weight. The catch? You needed to avoid foods high in carbohydrates. So, your morning eggs, bacon and toast would now be your morning eggs, bacon and bacon. And eggs. And Bacon. : )

Here's the thing (a little background), I'm from a family of Atkins Diet enthusiasts! Not only that, but my family has had an enormous amount of success loosing weight with the Atkins diet.

So, for as long as I can remember white potatoes (which are high in carbs) have been the enemy! Eating potatoes equalled bad in my mind.

A few years ago when I started eating Paleo, I saw that potatoes weren't "paleo approved". That was basically ok with me because I (as mentioned) am a child of Atkins followers, and thought potato=bad!

Then, I came across something regarding a program called Whole 30, and how it's allowing potatoes on it's approved food list. What is Whole 30? Well, it's Paleo, but even more clean! It's meant as a 30 day re-charge in your health (read all about it HERE). Without getting into all the details of what Paleo and Whole 30 are, I was honestly like, "What? Really?" when I read that Whole 30 approved potatoes!

Then, when we were visiting family at Easter, someone who I know is healthy, and understands healthy foods said to someone during a conversation about healthy foods, "well, potatoes aren't healthy", and I wanted to say something, but realized, besides knowing Whole 30 had approved potatoes, I didn't really know why. What makes them good for you? What benefits could come from eating potatoes?

Oh, here's another thing that made me really want to dig a little deeper into potatoes....we were really trying to cut back on the cost of our groceries, and, geez, a 20lb bag of russet potatoes was on sale for $1.97!!! For a family that eats mainly gluten-free, that is like a gift from heaven!!! My kids will happily eat a potato in some form every night, but I needed to know I wasn't just filling them up on starchy nothing-ness!

The potato belongs to the nightshade family whose other members include tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and tomatillos (for a full nightshade list, read here). They are the swollen portion of the underground stem which is called a tuber and is designed to provide food for the green leafy portion of the plant. If allowed to flower and fruit, the potato plant will bear an inedible fruit resembling a tomato.

​What's Wrong With Potatoes?

The main concerns with potatoes are: they are high in carbohydrates (appoximately 40g per 1 Cup baked), and also high on the Glycemic Index (85 out of 100, or "high").

Let's look at carbs and the GI, shall we?.....

Marc Perry from Built Lean explains carbohydrates very well (emphasis mine):

"Carbohydrates are just sugar molecules, all of which are broken down by the body into glucose.

Glucose is a single sugar molecule that is used as fuel by the cells in your body from your brain to your muscles.

There are 3 types of carbohydrates that are defined by the number of sugar molecules they contain:

When a carbohydrate is “simple” it refers to mono & disaccharides that are easily absorbed into the bloodstream because of their simple molecular structure. Think milk, fruit, and table sugar.

“Complex” carbs on the other hand are polysaccharides and because of their more complex molecular structure can take longer for the body to break down into sugar. Think grains, vegetables, and potatoes.

So, in very general terms,carbohydrates can be categorized as either simple or complex.

All types of carbs, except for fibre, eventually deconstruct into simpler forms in our bodies and absorb as glucose, the primary energy source for all cells throughout your body.

Simple carbohydrates, including fruit sugar (fructose), milk sugar (lactose), and table sugar (sucrose), have a straight structure that metabolizes quickly in one simple step in your small intestine, which can give you a spike in energy, then send you crashing.

Complex carbohydrates, such as starch, have a complicated branched structure that undergoes two distinct steps before absorption as glucose.

First, saliva breaks the complex molecule into a smaller form called maltose. Next, enzymes in your small intestine further break down maltose into simpler molecules so it can absorb as glucose.

Fibre is a unique type of complex carbohydrate since it is not broken down into glucose. Instead, fibre stays intact and helps push food through your body.

Now, the Glycemic Index (GI) is a measurement carried out on carbohydrate-containing foods and their impact on our blood sugar.

GI is a relatively new way of analyzing foods. Previously, most meal plans designed to improve blood sugar (for diabetics, mainly) analyzed the total amount of carbohydrates (including sugars and starches) in the foods themselves. GI goes beyond this approach, looking at the impact of foods on our actual blood sugar.

In other words, instead of counting the total amount of carbohydrates in foods in their unconsumed state, GI measures the actual impact of these foods on our blood sugar. We rank our foods then as being very low, low, medium, or high in their GI value (source). ​

The Truth Behind What's "Wrong" with Potatoes

When it comes to carbs or the GI of potatoes the whole picture isn't being looked at. So, to say that potatoes are unhealthy because of the carbs or rating on the GI is very mis-leading.

Most of the carbohydrates in the diet are starches. Starches are long chains of glucose that are found in grains, potatoes and various foods--complex carbs, remember?

But not all of the starch we eat gets digested the same way, and sometimes a small part of it passes through the digestive tract unchanged.

In other words, it is resistant to digestion and it goes through the stomach and small intestine undigested, eventually reaching the colon where it feeds the friendly bacteria in the gut. Other benefits of eating resistant starch is improved insulin sensitivity, lower blood sugar levels, reduced appetite and various benefits for digestion (Wiley Online Library).

As for the Glycemic Index of potatoes, According to Potato Goodness (which is obviously going to be biased, but it is backed by legitimate research, so I see the findings as valid) and their "Potatoes: Goodness Unearthed" handbook, the GI of potatoes can be effected by many things such as variety, origin (yes, where it was grown), processing, preparation, between person to person and their individual responses to starches, and within one individual and their particular response to starches on any given day, as well as the time of day the food was eaten and whether they had eaten anything prior.

So, to look down on a potato because of it's carbs (which we now know are complex and can be very beneficial to health) and it GI rating (which we now know can vary greatly and for many reasons) is unreasonable and unfair.​

Strait-Up Benefits​

To keep this from becoming completely exhausting, I will simply list the beneficial elements of the potato without explaining what each thing is!

The vitamins and minerals listed are for the amount of a baked potato, 1 Cup (Source)

Protein- 4.32 g (9% daily value {d.v.})

Dietary Fibre- 3.81 g (15% d.v.)

Vitamin B10- 11 mg (9% d.v.)

Vitamin B20- .08 mg (6% d.v.)

Vitamin B3- 2.44 mg (15% d.v.)

Vitamin B3 (Niacin Equivalents) 3.16 mg

Vitamin B6- 0.54 mg (32% d.v.)

Vitamin C- 16.61 mg (22% d.v.)

Vitamin K- 3.46 mcg (4% d.v.)

Calcium- 25.95 mg (3% d.v.)

Copper- 0.20 mg (22% d.v.)

Iron- 1.87 mg (10% d.v.)

Magnesium- 48.44 mg (12% d.v.)

Manganese- 0.38 mg (19% d.v.)

Phosphorus- 121.10 mg (17% d.v.)

Potassium- 925.55 mg (26% d.v.)

Zinc -0.62 mg (6% d.v.)

Not to mention:

Gluten-free

Low-Fat (o.22g for 1 cup baked)

Cholesterol Free

Low Sodium (17.3mg 1 Cup baked)

So....if you're a victim of the "potatoes are bad" generalization group, how are ya feeling?

Right now you're probably feeling like you owe the humble potato an apology. : )

I know there are people out there who have sensitivities to night shades, and that is a real issue for them. I know some people are on low-carb diets to try to loose some fat and are avoiding foods like potatoes right now. I know diabetics are often told to avoid potatoes. Whatever your reasons, can we stop generally saying: "potatoes are not healthy". Because, generally speaking, the evidence is clear: they are healthy.

Potato chips and deep fried french fries? Obviously not healthy. I think part of the potato getting looked at in a poor light is because of it's fantastic ability to taste so freakin' delish when deep fried and covered in salt!!! Duh!

You can bake, mash, steam, or pan-fry (in a touch of good-for-you oil like ghee, macadamia oil, coconut oil or avocado oil) these veggies. Or you can make them into a healthy potato salad, or potato pancakes!

There are many ways to enjoy this demonized food! We like to have different versions of baked potatoes at least once a week around here. Curry stuffed, taco stuffed, egg stuffed, spinach and cheese stuffed, pizza stuffed, the list goes on and on! Obviously the things you add to your potato make it more or less healthy. When we do pizza stuffed potatoes, for instance, it often replaces our semi-regular pizza night. The kids still love it because it's pizza-ish, and I like that it is waaaaaaaaay more cost effective than making paleo & gluten-free pizza! Winner winner!

I hope you've enjoyed this little romp through potato land! I will admit that most people would find this boring....and didn't read it at all....but somehow you're down here at the bottom reading anyway, so tell me if you DID read this and share your thoughts!

Do try new things though, because you can't be certain what kind of fitness person you are until you've tried a few things. I, for instance, don't like Zumba. I've tried it, it wasn't my cup of tea, so I've moved on. I can still find a ba-zillion other ways to work out beyond Zumba. But if I was thinking, "gee, it's Zumba or nothing", then I would likely be doing nothing! If I was forcing myself to do Zumba, I would hate it & get bored. Both hate and boredom are classic reasons to quit working out!

Talking food and nutrition; if you really hate eating steamed veggies, but are forcing yourself to because you want to eat healthier, well, just stop! Eating raw veggies is great for you too, and if it means you still love vegetables, well then that's awesome!

You probably wouldn't enjoy being a vegetarian if you are a die hard meat lover, and if you hate meat, don't go on a low carb/high protein diet!

You know (as an adult) you should try new foods, and of course I would agree with that. But don't force yourself to eat things that make you feel sick to your stomach from repulsion just because they are good for you! A personal example is how much I despise lychee fruit! Seriously, I popped one in my mouth once because I had heard a lot of good things about this berry, and immediately spat it out because it felt the way I might imagine an eyeball would feel in my mouth!!! Bleh, it still makes my skin crawl thinking about it now! And pomegranate, although I know how good it is for you, has never been a favourite of mine because I can't stand the crunch of the seeds, and choosing to just try to eat the fruit off the seeds seems pointless and frustrating, and I don't even enjoy the taste enough to want to bother!!! Wow, what a run-on sentence! : )

The point though? I tried!

Add variety to your workouts and foods, but don't go forcing something that you deep down hate!

Now, here's what matters most.......I think most of you know this stuff I've been saying, right? Maybe some information I've given has been new, but a lot of it hasn't been, I'm sure.

So, what's wrong? What's happening where we know so much, but are succeeding so little?

It's you.

No, not "it's you" as in it's your fault, but "it's you" as in, it's the stuff we can't write about. That thing that you can't buy a book or DVD about....it's that thing you can't quite pin down to help you reach whatever goal you have.

In an article I really appreciated reading from Rebooted Body, they said:

"The reason people can have the right information and still fail — or the right information and never start — is because of that intangible component. If our job as mentors, coaches, program-designers, gym owners, fitness instructors, yoginis, and nutritionists was to program robots to live, eat, sleep, and exercise according to a blueprint we’d all have a 100% success rate. Robots aren’t human. They don’t have an inner child. In other words, they don’t have meaningful history and the fear, insecurity, self-doubt, self-sabotage, anger, sadness, and shame that are attached to that history. Humans have all of those emotions and those emotions act as roadblocks to success whether you’re operating with the right information on not

Food is the easiest drug to access. On top of that, processed foods are designed to be addictive. We know that hard drugs and alcohol are a coping mechanism. We need to understand that food is not just a similar coping mechanism, it’s the most popular and most easily accessible one. The health and fitness industry is dead because health (nutrition and lifestyle education) and fitness are no longer adequate for addressing the issues of body image, disordered eating, addiction, and all of our metabolic concerns. It’s all about the psychology and mindset of the individual.

People who are trapped in the cycle of addiction and dependency — which is far more pervasive than anyone realizes — can’t simply be informed to change".

Well said, yes?

It is my hope here, on this Bushel & A Peck Health & Fitness blog that I can inform you, but most importantly, challenge you to think, and think hard, about why you're doing what you're doing.

All the information in the world can't confront and defeat the enemies of addiction, dependency, low self-worth, unhealthy body image, low confidence, depression, anxiety, and learned helplessness. It can’t correct the consequences of physical, mental, and emotional abuse, which in varying degrees is far more pervasive than anyone wants to admit.

You are a person who is here because you are interested in health & fitness in one way or another. But expand your definition of "health & fitness" to mean all of you. Your mind, body and soul.

Be real with yourself. Be real for yourself. Keep It Real: Real YOU!

The reason we think "I must do Zumba and I must eat steamed veggies!" is because we're unsure about what to do (not in the information sense--we're bogged down with information!!--, but in the sense that we still feel lost), and society/industry wants to keep it that way. It keeps us from seeing who we are, seeing where we hurt, and that keeps us buying more videos and diet plans we don't need.

Can I say one last thing? Don't be afraid of who you are and the hurts you've suffered. Don't be afraid to set those suitcases of issues down, open them up, and sort that stuff out.

Depending on who you are, these suitcases will be heavier or lighter, and filled with varying degrees of hurts.....

I am still sorting through my junk I've been carrying around....I know I need to because I still struggle with food and my relationship with it. But I want to be real with myself so that I can be real with others.

I hope that you can be encouraged and know that wherever you are in your journey of health & fitness (mind, body, soul), you are not alone.

Teddy Roosevelt once said, ‘Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is a chance to work hard at work worth doing.’

Friends, here is your chance. Being real and sorting through all you carry around can be scary because it requires hard work, soul searching, and commitment.....but it'll be worth it. It will be worth it.